HWLE Lawyers has advised energy resources company Mayfair Australia Corporation (Mayfair) on the acquisition of Dyno Nobel’s fertiliser plant and mine, Phosphate Hill. The deal facilitates the continued operation of the plant and retains employment of its 540 staff and offers a lifeline to the Mount Isa region’s copper industry.

The transaction was structured with a purchase price of $1, and deferred consideration of up to $100 million, along with Dyno Nobel providing $125.9 million of funding to support the future rehabilitation and remediation of Phosphate Hill, and about $80 million of inventory at completion for the continuity of operations.

The deal is Mayfair’s second in the past few months, where HWLE assisted Mayfair in the purchase of a stake in Queensland’s Gladstone coal power station.

Phosphate Hill is Australia’s only ammonium phosphate fertiliser production facility and has long stood as an essential part of north-west Queensland’s critical copper industry and its supporting communities. It is relied on for sulfur processing by its neighbouring smelter operation owned by Swiss-based Glencore, which employs 600 staff across the region.

As reported by the AFR on 9 March 2026, Mat Lynch, chief operating officer at Mayfair, noted the strategic importance of Phosphate Hill, supporting Australian agriculture and strengthening fertiliser security in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

The legal aspects of the Phosphate Hill and Queensland’s Gladstone coal power station deals were led by Stewart Ebbott (Partner) and supported by Wayne Jenvey (Partner) and Damien Gillespie (Special Counsel).

Note to Editors:

HWLE is the largest legal partnership in Australia according to the most recent partnership surveys published by the Australian Financial Review.

The firm comprises 1,840, staff including 279 Partners, 1,138 other legal staff and 423 support staff across offices in nine locations – Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Hobart, Norwest (Northwest Sydney), Perth and Sydney.

HWLE is an independent, nationally integrated, full service commercial law firm, providing tailored and commercially oriented legal services.

HWLE operates a different business model to the other leading national law practices, and this allows us to offer unrivalled value for money without compromising quality and service. Our low ratio of solicitors to partners ensures that our clients receive optimal access to partner resources for all matters.

For further information, please contact:

Sally Bariol, Public Relations Specialist (02) 9138 2308 or sbariol@hwle.com.au

Angelique Kear, Head of Marketing (02) 9334 8541 or akear@hwle.com.au